Homomorphisms and congruences on regular semigroups with associate inverse subsemigroups. (Q2448980)

An element \(t\) of a semigroup \(S\) is an associate of \(s\in S\) if \(s=sts\); a subsemigroup \(S^*\) of a regular semigroup \(S\) containing a least (under the natural partial order of idempotents) associate \(s^*\) of every \(s\in S\) is called an associate subsemigroup of \(S\). Here regular semigroups \(S\) are considered, where the unary operation \(s\to s^*\) satisfies the conditions: \((st)^*=t^*s^*\) for all \(s,t\in S\); \(ef^*e^*=ef^*\), \(e^*f^*e=f^*e\) for all \(e,f\in E(S)\). For these semigroups the authors have earlier obtained a description of their structure [Semigroup Forum 79, No. 1, 101-118 (2009; Zbl 1211.20050)]; here this description is used to characterise homomorphisms/congruences compatible with the unary operation \(^*\).